With the number of Oregonians dying of drug overdoses nearly tripling over the past five years, Oregon Health & Science University has greatly expanded the reach of a program designed to improve addiction training among health care professionals and law enforcement.
In the 2023 – 24 academic year, OHSU increased participation in its remote learning program for addiction medicine by almost 40%.
"Seeing so much more interest was huge for us," said Dan Hoover, M.D., director of the Addiction Medicine ECHO Program and an assistant professor of medicine (general internal medicine and geriatrics) in the OHSU School of Medicine. "We're increasing what we're doing in response to the increasing need for substance use treatment."
The program is a partnership between the Oregon ECHO Network and OHSU addiction medicine specialists. ECHO stands for Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes. The model started in 2003 in New Mexico as a way of extending specialized medical training to health care professionals in rural areas.
Learn more about OHSU's leadership in addiction medicine.
A total of 1,107 people participated through video conference-based addiction medicine education during the academic year that ended June 30 — a significant boost from the 673 people who participated the prior year. Notably, with Oregon recriminalizing possession of small amounts of illicit drugs this year, 27 law enforcement officers and leaders participated in training related to substance use disorder.
Hoover said interest remains strong, especially among law enforcement agencies in counties that have agreed to provide a chance for people found in possession of illicit drugs to "deflect" from the criminal justice system into treatment.
Additionally, Hoover has been leading a jail-based ECHO program designed to improve treatment for substance use disorders among Oregon county jails, which house a large number of people with severe substance use disorders experiencing withdrawal.
Interest has increased as illicit fentanyl has surged into Oregon over the past few years.
"These conversations really make us feel valued in the medical community," said Capt. Joshua Aldrich with the Jackson County Sheriff's Office and commander of the Jackson County Jail in Medford. "Now there's recognition that there are things that the medical community could help with, and maybe we can help each other, too."
The ECHO programs related to addiction medicine represent the largest slice of OHSU's overall project to enhance the training of health care professionals statewide.
Operated by the Oregon Rural Practice-Based Research Network at OHSU, the Oregon ECHO Network reached 1,550 participants from almost every county in the state during the 2023 – 24 academic year. In addition to topics related to substance use disorder, the network offered sessions designed to improve treatment for a wide variety of diagnoses, including long COVID-19, menopause and Parkinson's disease.
"Our overall goal is to provide support to the amazing health professionals in our state through engaging and relevant programming," said Maggie McLain McDonnell, M.P.H., director of the Oregon ECHO Network.
Funding support for OHSU's Addiction Medicine ECHO Program comes primarily through a state opioid response grant from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration administered by the Oregon Health Authority. Oregon's Criminal Justice Commission provides funding for the Deflection Engagement and Coordination ECHO, which started in October.
